According to a report by the Baltimore Sun, Jones was raised in a predominantly African-American Muslim community in Upton, West Baltimore. There, he attended a private K-12 Islamic school and a nearby mosque. Residents of Upton claim that there were few signs that Jones was radicalized before he joined the terrorist group in Somalia.Ian Duncan, “Accused al-Shabaab fighter came from heart of Baltimore's African-American Muslim community,” Baltimore Sun, January 17, 2016, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-maalik-jones-al-shabbab-20160117-story.html.

In 2005, Jones married a woman from Morocco. Three years later, Jones was charged with child abuse and second-degree assault after severely attacking his nephew. Court documents show that Jones pleaded guilty to the charges and spent close to a month in jail. He was fined $100, court-ordered to receive treatment for anger management, and given two years’ probation.Ian Duncan, “Accused al-Shabaab fighter came from heart of Baltimore's African-American Muslim community,” Baltimore Sun, January 17, 2016, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-maalik-jones-al-shabbab-20160117-story.html.

In July of 2011, Jones left behind his wife and two young children to join al-Shabab in Somalia. According to court documents, Jones reached the terrorist group after traveling through New York, the United Arab Emirates, and Kenya.United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Indictment, U.S. Department of Justice, January 11, 2016, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812376/download. Once joining up with al-Shabab, Jones allegedly attended an al-Shabab training camp, where he received religious indoctrination, and learned how to shoot firearms and operate rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).Ian Duncan, “Accused al-Shabaab fighter came from heart of Baltimore's African-American Muslim community,” Baltimore Sun, January 17, 2016, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-maalik-jones-al-shabbab-20160117-story.html.

After completing training with al-Shabab, Jones allegedly joined a specialized commando unit within al-Shabab's fighting arm. The unit, Jaysh Ayman, is allegedly responsible for a slew of attacks in Somalia, as well as cross-border raids on military and civilian targets in neighboring Kenya.United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Criminal Complaint, U.S. Department of Justice, December 12, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812381/download. Among other targets in both Kenya and Somalia, Jaysh Ayman is allegedly responsible for a June 6, 2014, attack on a hotel bar in Mpekatoni, Kenya, killing 40; a July 2014 attack on government buildings, a trading center, and a church in the coastal village of Hindi, Kenya, killing nine; and the June 14, 2015, attack on a Kenyan army base in Lamu County, Kenya, killing two soldiers.United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Criminal Complaint, U.S. Department of Justice, December 12, 2015, 8-9, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812381/download. During his time with al-Shabab, Jones appeared in at least two videos with the terrorist group, according to court documents.em>United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Criminal Complaint, U.S. Department of Justice, December 12, 2015, 13, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812381/download.

On September 8, 2017, Jones pled guilty to conspiring to provide material support to and receive military training from al-Shabab, and carrying and using an AK-47 machine gun, rocket-propelled grenades, and other weapons on behalf of the terrorist group. The military training charge carries a minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Jones is scheduled for sentencing in January of 2018.“United States Citizen Pleads Guilty To Providing Material Support To Al Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, September 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/united-states-citizen-pleads-guilty-providing-material-support-al-shabaab.

Jones was arrested around the same time as Muhammed Abdullahi Hassan a.k.a. Mujahid Miski, a Minnesotan who fought with al-Shabab and promoted jihadist ideology online. The U.S. State Department issued a statement saying that Miski had “surrendered to the Federal Government of Somalia on November 6, 2015.”Email from U.S. State Department spokesman, December 7, 2015. In an exclusive interview with Voice of America while in custody, Miski admitted to working for al-Shabab’s “media and preaching departments,” but left in 2013 because he believed the group was unfairly imprisoning, torturing, and killing people.Dan Joseph and Harun Maruf, “American Al-Shabab, Nabbed in Somalia, Denies IS Links,” Voice of America, December 8, 2015, http://m.voanews.com/a/american-al-shabab-arrested-in-somalia-denies-links-to-is/3093529.html.

According to a report by the Baltimore Sun, Jones was raised in a predominantly African-American Muslim community in Upton, West Baltimore. There, he attended a private K-12 Islamic school and a nearby mosque. Residents of Upton claim that there were few signs that Jones was radicalized before he joined the terrorist group in Somalia.Ian Duncan, “Accused al-Shabaab fighter came from heart of Baltimore's African-American Muslim community,” Baltimore Sun, January 17, 2016, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-maalik-jones-al-shabbab-20160117-story.html.

In 2005, Jones married a woman from Morocco. Three years later, Jones was charged with child abuse and second-degree assault after severely attacking his nephew. Court documents show that Jones pleaded guilty to the charges and spent close to a month in jail. He was fined $100, court-ordered to receive treatment for anger management, and given two years’ probation.Ian Duncan, “Accused al-Shabaab fighter came from heart of Baltimore's African-American Muslim community,” Baltimore Sun, January 17, 2016, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-maalik-jones-al-shabbab-20160117-story.html.

Background

Date of Birth

1984 or 1985

Place of birth

Maryland, United States

Place of residence

New York, United States

Citizenship

U.S.

Arrested

12/7/15 by Somali security forces; charged 01/2016 by the United States: material support & false statements

In July of 2011, Jones left behind his wife and two young children to join al-Shabab in Somalia. According to court documents, Jones reached the terrorist group after traveling through New York, the United Arab Emirates, and Kenya.United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Indictment, U.S. Department of Justice, January 11, 2016, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812376/download. Once joining up with al-Shabab, Jones allegedly attended an al-Shabab training camp, where he received religious indoctrination, and learned how to shoot firearms and operate rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).Ian Duncan, “Accused al-Shabaab fighter came from heart of Baltimore's African-American Muslim community,” Baltimore Sun, January 17, 2016, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-maalik-jones-al-shabbab-20160117-story.html.

After completing training with al-Shabab, Jones allegedly joined a specialized commando unit within al-Shabab's fighting arm. The unit, Jaysh Ayman, is allegedly responsible for a slew of attacks in Somalia, as well as cross-border raids on military and civilian targets in neighboring Kenya.United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Criminal Complaint, U.S. Department of Justice, December 12, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812381/download. Among other targets in both Kenya and Somalia, Jaysh Ayman is allegedly responsible for a June 6, 2014, attack on a hotel bar in Mpekatoni, Kenya, killing 40; a July 2014 attack on government buildings, a trading center, and a church in the coastal village of Hindi, Kenya, killing nine; and the June 14, 2015, attack on a Kenyan army base in Lamu County, Kenya, killing two soldiers.United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Criminal Complaint, U.S. Department of Justice, December 12, 2015, 8-9, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812381/download. During his time with al-Shabab, Jones appeared in at least two videos with the terrorist group, according to court documents.em>United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Criminal Complaint, U.S. Department of Justice, December 12, 2015, 13, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812381/download.

On September 8, 2017, Jones pled guilty to conspiring to provide material support to and receive military training from al-Shabab, and carrying and using an AK-47 machine gun, rocket-propelled grenades, and other weapons on behalf of the terrorist group. The military training charge carries a minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Jones is scheduled for sentencing in January of 2018.“United States Citizen Pleads Guilty To Providing Material Support To Al Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, September 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/united-states-citizen-pleads-guilty-providing-material-support-al-shabaab.

Jones was arrested around the same time as Muhammed Abdullahi Hassan a.k.a. Mujahid Miski, a Minnesotan who fought with al-Shabab and promoted jihadist ideology online. The U.S. State Department issued a statement saying that Miski had “surrendered to the Federal Government of Somalia on November 6, 2015.”Email from U.S. State Department spokesman, December 7, 2015. In an exclusive interview with Voice of America while in custody, Miski admitted to working for al-Shabab’s “media and preaching departments,” but left in 2013 because he believed the group was unfairly imprisoning, torturing, and killing people.Dan Joseph and Harun Maruf, “American Al-Shabab, Nabbed in Somalia, Denies IS Links,” Voice of America, December 8, 2015, http://m.voanews.com/a/american-al-shabab-arrested-in-somalia-denies-links-to-is/3093529.html.